Turning Misfortune into Fortune

Wu Tian didn't notice that as he used his Talent for Seeking Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity to sense the mountainside, he had disturbed a certain being cultivating in seclusion there.

Zhu Yushuang was already a True Person of Nascent Soul. She had been suppressing the Fire Aperture on Skull Mountain for sixty years. In recent years, she had gradually subdued her fiery nature, her Dao heart calmed, and she merged with heaven and earth, entering an extremely profound state.

She merged her Primordial Spirit with heaven and earth, comprehending the profound principles of the workings of all things.

This was originally something only Loose Immortals who had cultivated to the Dharma Form stage could achieve. Zhu Yushuang's sixty years of arduous cultivation, combined with a fortuitous encounter, had led her to this wondrous state, indicating that she was not far from the Loose Immortal realm.

Her Primordial Spirit merged with heaven and earth. When Wu Tian sensed with his talent, she immediately detected the anomaly.

The Talent for Seeking Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity was normally very difficult for beings below the Loose Immortal stage to detect. Only by achieving the Dharma Form, using the Heaven and Earth Manifestation technique, and merging with heaven and earth could one be fully responsive and know good fortune and disaster.

But Zhu Yushuang's Primordial Spirit was currently merged with heaven and earth. Under the pull of their vital energies, she discovered Wu Tian's existence.

"So it's this White Dog." Zhu Yushuang's Primordial Spirit merged with heaven and earth. In an instant, she saw Wu Tian completely, from head to toe, inside and out. "Interesting, this little fellow actually possesses such a talent. Did I misjudge it before?"

She became intrigued. With a thought, the power of heaven and earth naturally gathered, and Wu Tian disappeared from his original spot.

Wu Tian was nearly scared to death. When he came to his senses, he realized he was no longer on the summit of Skull Mountain but near a hot spring.

His heart was in a panic, but his Talent for Seeking Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity made him sense that there was a great opportunity here.

"Where is this?!"

Just as he was filled with confusion, a clear voice entered his spirit, as if directly resonating in his heart.

"Little one, did you just awaken a new talent?"

Upon hearing this voice, Wu Tian immediately understood who it was, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "Senior, is that you?"

He let out excited barks.

"I am communicating with you with my Primordial Spirit's consciousness. You just need to calm your mind, concentrate, and think of what you want to say, and I will be able to sense it," Zhu Yushuang replied with a light laugh.

Wu Tian was overjoyed and quickly did as she said. "Senior, is it really you?! Is Chi Li alright?"

"That's right, I did indeed awaken a new talent just now, and I also discovered some extremely terrifying things."

He recalled the scenes he had just witnessed and quickly recounted all his discoveries.

Even if Wu Tian were a fool, he would now understand that the opportunity he saw on the mountainside was actually this senior.

This senior was not only Chili Mu's master but also the reason he could escape disaster on Skull Mountain. How could he dare to hide anything? He immediately laid everything bare, explaining it all truthfully.

Zhu Yushuang couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. Although she had merged her Primordial Spirit with heaven and earth by chance, allowing her to comprehend the principles of heaven and earth's operation like a Loose Immortal, she did not possess the divine abilities of a Loose Immortal to know fortune and disaster.

Hearing Wu Tian's account, she finally parted the veils of destiny and sensed the danger. "It seems that old thief is still not giving up!"

A sharp glint flashed in her eyes. "If I were to fall into his scheme carelessly, it's quite possible my cultivation could be ruined."

With her cultivation and methods, she naturally did not fear the sect leader of Skull Mountain. Although both were True Persons of Nascent Soul, if a fight were to break out, she was confident she could destroy his Primordial Spirit within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Back in the Central Plains, she had slain demons all around, massacred flood dragons in the East Sea, her killing intent fierce. She was known as the Rakshasa Immortal, and it was not a false reputation.

A mere sect leader of Skull Mountain, who had achieved Nascent Soul through unorthodox means, was not someone she took seriously.

However, she was currently suppressing the Fire Aperture and would reach perfection in ten years. If she were to cause a major disturbance, the earth fire would surge into the sky, and the land within a thousand miles would be ravaged by it, leading to countless casualties.

At that time, under the entanglement of karma, she would be burdened with sin and might have to reincarnate to cultivate anew.

Not to mention, according to this White Dog, external enemies would also invade at that time, and that old demon might even enlist other evil beings to join forces.

If she were alone, even if she had to fight across a thousand miles, she would use her sword to slay the invading enemies one by one.

But now, sitting in seclusion to suppress the Fire Aperture, her true body could not move, which was quite troublesome.

Zhu Yushuang pondered for a long time and finally made up her mind. "The matter of the Fire Aperture is of great importance. If it is exploited by evil beings, it could lead to great disaster. I can only seek help from the sect."

"It's a pity that old immortal will probably laugh at me then."

"Hmph!"

She was proud and arrogant. In the past, she would rather die and disappear than endure ridicule.

However, these sixty years of suppressing the Fire Aperture had not only suppressed the earth fire but also subdued her own heart. It allowed her to be free from the disturbance of emotions and desires, her mind like floating clouds, always at ease. This was the subtlety of the Dao heart, and only then could one glimpse the path of Heaven and Earth Manifestation.

Zhu Yushuang looked at Wu Tian and suddenly had a feeling. "My encountering this White Dog, and being able to learn of the disaster through it, is probably not a coincidence..."

"I have been suppressing the ten-thousand-year fire vein here for sixty years, accumulating merit, and naturally, auspicious energy gathers, allowing me to turn misfortune into fortune."

"Personal cultivation is important, but if one cannot accumulate external merits, understand the workings of heaven, and recognize the timing, one will ultimately be unable to attain the Great Dao. When calamity strikes, one will turn to ashes."

With this thought, she felt her Dao heart ascend further. The door to the Dharma Form, which had been some distance away, could now be reached by her hand.

Zhu Yushuang was overjoyed. Sixty years of secluded cultivation; if she could achieve the Dharma Form and reach the Loose Immortal realm, enjoying freedom and ease for a thousand years, how wonderful that would be.

"Wonderful, wonderful! The workings of the Heavenly Dao, opportunities and disasters, are truly wondrous beyond words!"

She looked at Wu Tian. Seeing his snow-white fur and his ability to foresee disaster, she felt he was truly a rare auspicious beast, and a sense of closeness and joy arose in her heart.

"My disciple is truly blessed. Not only does she have the Li Fire Dao Body, but she also has such an auspicious beast by her side. Her fortune in the future will likely be extraordinary, and the Great Dao is within reach."

"Since that is the case, I shall bestow upon it an opportunity."

Zhu Yushuang transmitted her thoughts with her Primordial Spirit. "Little one, Chi Li is doing very well here. She is currently in secluded cultivation and cannot see you."

"I know everything you have told me. Rest assured, with me here, no matter what disaster befalls, you will surely be safe."

"I shall gift you a Golden Talisman. You may freely enter and exit the mountain gate and also come to this hot spring to play."

"When the calamity breaks out, you just need to come to this place to avoid disaster, and your life will be safe."

Hearing this, Wu Tian's original worries immediately lessened by more than half. He replied mentally, "Thank you, senior, thank you, senior!"

Before his voice faded, a golden talisman descended from the sky, directly entering the bronze bell hanging on his neck. It merged with the clapper, shining brightly and resplendently. A gust of wind caused it to collide with the bell's wall, emitting crisp ding-ding-dang sounds.

"You notified me of this calamity in advance; your contribution is significant. Although I cannot pass on my sect's secret techniques to you, I did obtain several wondrous arts during my travels down the mountain. Practicing them for a long time will bring considerable benefits. You should cultivate them diligently."

As the words fell, two streams of light, one purple and one red, descended from the sky. This time, they directly entered Wu Tian's glabella.

"Little one, cultivate diligently. If you can achieve the Perfected Cauldron Body and cultivate into a Spiritual Beast within ten years, transforming into human form, I can take you back to the sect."

"Go!"

Wu Tian was already dazed by this sudden surprise. Hearing the senior's words, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, thanking them for this opportunity.

When he got up, his Talent for Seeking Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity sensed a change. The dark clouds and blood-red light on Skull Mountain still existed, but the Earth Fire's fiendish energy underground had almost dissipated.

Furthermore, the sense of crisis brought by the dark clouds and blood-red light had been greatly weakened.

"This place is truly my blessed land. Just one visit allows me to turn misfortune into good fortune and avert disaster!"

Wu Tian felt joy in his heart and had no desire to leave immediately. He plunged into the hot spring. The water rippled, and waves splashed up. He hadn't bathed in a long time and felt an immense sense of comfort all over his body.